The Owl Post
by Abbey is IT
Summary: Marauder's Era Story set in seventh year, but several flashbacks to previous years, letters written, or minor characters' P.O.V. to help the plot. A JPLE fic mainly, but there are minor plots within.
1. Of Werewolves and Redheads

"Be a good boy now, Remmie, dear," said a tired-looking woman with frizzy light brown hair tied recklessly into a bun atop her head. Through silver-rimmed glasses, one could definitely sense some worry in her hazel eyes, and the small, skinny boy in front of her knew that it was not something to be taken lightly. He knew that his mother was trying as hard as her conscience would let her to sound okay with the decision to send him to school.

Remus John Lupin replied softly, "I know, mum, I know."

He was not acting defiant. He was not acting insensible. He was not acting annoyed. This was all because of the fact that the scrawny eleven year old understood that it was of the utmost importance that he behaved while at school, for fear of causing grave danger to more people than just himself. He smiled lightly, but was unsettled by the fear in his mother's eyes. She wasn't ready for this, and there was nothing he could do to sway her. Remus wished more than anything that his father could have been here to comfort her, but he was knee-deep in reports that needed to be done. Work was work, and he understood his father's absence. For a boy of eleven, Remus was indeed wise beyond his years. And this was why he understood his mother's fright.

The Lupins had a secret. A secret that, indeed, very few knew about, a mystery so heavily guarded that one could not have guessed such a thing was amidst such a respectful, middle-class wizarding family. However, the Lupins had a curse, a plague, which haunted them in their day-to-day lives and influenced their every decision.

Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

The bite had happened long ago, when the boy was barely old enough to tie his own shoes. Remus was celebrating his sixth birthday party at home with an assembly of close friends and family members. The of-age witches and wizards sat on the balcony of their two-story home, watching over the little ones as they played their games in the woods behind the house. Perhaps a remark or two was made about the odd light of the night, but if anyone noticed the full moon, they hadn't said a word.

Suddenly, a terrible scream pierced the night and every single creature in it fell silent. As Mr. and Mrs. Lupin grew more attentive, they could hear the alternating shouts and moans of agony of their son Remus. Mr. Lupin raced out down the stairs and into the woods, only to find his son bloodstained, lying in the middle of a field with his left arm cradling his right, and the retreating figure of the notorious werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, whose markings were still distinguishable even in the haunting darkness.

News spread fast, even in those days. Soon the neighbors were talking about how the poor Lupins were still shook up over their son's near-death experience, being attacked by a wolf. They didn't have the heart or the courage to leak the truth, not on that terrible night, when they were still naïve enough to think Remus could be cured. The boy, barely old enough to understand what had happened to him, was taken to St. Mungo's Center for Magical Injuries and Maladies. They had to tell the Healers, the people who they thought would be their saviors. Instead, after Mrs. Lupin insisted that they had try all of the tests a third time, one Healer stood apart from the group and said that he was sorry, but once again there was nothing he could do for their son and handed them a pamphlet, sending them on their way. The Lupins also had to tell one other person, the one person they had dreaded telling beyond all things. This was the Headmaster of the renowned Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin had been positive that the bite was the end of their son's future. Remus' parents began to take radical measures to ensure the his safety, and the futures of others, for not much was known about werewolves and their dangers at the time and the Lupins had enough sense to respect the fact that although their child had been torn from them without reason, it was unfair to let such things happen to other families. Thus, Remus couldn't enjoy the company of other children. He didn't accompany his parents shopping or traveling whenever they could help it.

He wouldn't attend Hogwarts.

So his parents had thought. But here the young and pale Remus Lupin was, standing on Platform 9 ¾, awaiting a majestic scarlet steam engine to whisk him away to his new school. This, of course, was all thanks to the highly respected and kind-hearted Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Special precautions were to be made prior to Remus' arrival, however the Headmaster made it certain that he did not want this "mere difference" to isolate Remus from the education he so well deserved. He was not repulsed by Remus' condition, on the contrary, he insisted upon Remus' attendance.

Remus couldn't wait to see him, Professor Dumbledore. He hadn't even met the man, yet Dumbledore had already done more for him than anyone else ever had. Remus would finally get to learn magic. He would be able to spend some time out of his house. He might even make friends.

Smiling slightly to himself, Remus kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek as she graciously wrapped herself around him in a firm hug. The train whistled, and the boy knew that there was no more time left for reflection. He quietly said goodbye to his mother, tears now streaming down her face, and lugged his trunk up the steps to his new life.

A burly-looking boy of seventeen thrashed into Remus the second he set foot into the train, dwarfing Remus with his muscular body. The hallway was teaming with activity, and all the eleven year old wanted to do was to slip unnoticed into an empty compartment and begin reading one of his crisp, new schoolbooks. Being forced to in his room for most of his life, Remus did a fair amount of reading, and the train was the most crowded place he had been in a long time. After finding a place in which to settle down and slipping his trunk under the bench—it wasn't worth the effort to try and miserably hoist it into the above-head compartments, he just didn't have the strength—he chose the window seat on the right-hand side and stared out the window with a glazed expression.

_'Maybe this won't be any different after all,' _Remus thought to himself, wondering if he was going to spend the rest of his years at Hogwarts sitting in an empty compartment. He opened his trunk and slipped out a book with a three-inch thick spine. Rummaging through the book for a second to find the napkin he had used as a bookmark, he listened to all of the noises outside his compartment, friends meeting up with one another, laughing together, helping each other hoist their trucks up to their proper resting places…

Only a few moments later, Remus heard a creaking noise much closer to his own compartment, and turned around to see the door slowing opening. Walking with hesitation into the room was the most beautiful girl Remus had ever seen. She had billowing, waist-length auburn hair with streaks of ginger, expertly complemented by almond-shaped, bright green eyes. The girl smiled sheepishly and set her trunk down on the floor with a loud clunk, which seemed to startle her about as much as it did Remus. He quickly returned to reading about grindylows.

"Is it—can I… would you mind if I sat in here?" she asked, blushing, and then added after a second thought, "All of the other compartments are full."

Remus looked up from his Defense Against the Dark Arts book and smiled politely, wondering why such a pretty girl didn't have a better place to sit. He nodded and the girl sat down across from him, compulsively running her hands over the top of her hair as if to make it straight as a stick.

"I'm Lily Evans," she said loudly, extending her hand awkwardly. Remus shook it, a grin escaping the corner of his mouth at her formality.

"Remus Lupin," he replied.

Remus then went back to his book and silence occupied the room. Lily's eyes moved around the compartment, absorbing every detail. Remus looked around, too. The girl's trunk was still sitting in a heap by the door, and Remus wished that he could move it for her, but the attempt would have been more of an embarrassment than simply letting it stay there. Her eyes came to a halt on the book in Remus' hands. She looked up at him eagerly.

"I've started reading it, too. It's it all so interesting? I mean, I never knew that all of this—" Lily cut herself off immediately, and her face went a shade darker than what it had been when she first got on the train. She stared at Remus intently, as if trying to make him forget what he had just heard. Her attention, however, just made Remus blush as well. He did not have many visitors in his house, let alone girls.

The two didn't talk again until the snack cart came and they bought Chocolate Frogs and Acid Pops. Lily opened her first pack of frogs, seeming more interested in the collectible card that came with it than the candy itself. Remus popped a sweet into his mouth and returned to his book, which he was now well half-way through.

"Absolutely amazing," Lily muttered to herself, holding the card less than two inches away from her face, mouth full of sweets. Remus smiled into his book. As much as he loved his mother and father, it was nice to be around someone his own age. After all, an eleven year old and someone in their late forties could only have so much in common.

Out of nowhere, Lily let out a high-pitched shriek and dropped the card, her back rigid against the bench, eyes wide. Her mouth moved, yet no words were coming out. Remus looked up inquisitively, afraid that she was having an episode and did not know how to help her. Should he go out into the corridor and call for an adult?

"What's that matter?" he asked hastily, looking for the warning signs of seizures that he had read about in books that his father had checked out for him from a Muggle library.

"It—it—the picture… it _moved_!" Lily replied between sharp intakes of breath, her index finger pointing at the Chocolate Frog Card, on which there was a picture of an old, lively looking wizard.

Remus let out a sigh of relief and even couldn't help but laugh a little. Lily's previous short-ended comment finally made sense to him: she was Muggle-born, born from two non-magical peoples. She did not know about things in the wizarding world, and was bound to be surprised at a moving photograph. To her, that was unheard of. Remus knew much of Muggle life, because of the easy fact that his father _was _one.

"They're supposed to do that," he mumbled genially, gently picking up the card from the floor. Underneath the picture, in bright and bold letters, it read the name "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE". The wizard in the picture had long, frizzy white hair with a beard to match. He smiled warmly up at Remus and waved. Remus, captivated by the card, read further down where it gave a list of the man's many great accomplishments.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked irritably after a while.

Remus looked up, not knowing what he _was _doing to make her sound angry like that. However, it was not he that she was addressing. Two new boys had entered—er, tried to enter—their compartment. They both had equally jet-black hair and wore pompous grins. The one on the right looked more composed; his hair, which was slightly long for a boy's, hung smoothly at his chin and he towered the three other passengers. The boy on the left, however, was a little more disheveled. His hair was sticking up in tufts in random spots on his head, and his glasses were lopsided from unexpectedly trampling over Lily's trunk. Both boys were now half-way in the compartment, still not quite stable.

"Well, I daresay that we heard someone in this compartment scream, milady," the one on the right said eloquently, raising his eyebrows at Lily, "and we, as the humble gentlemen we are, decided to go and save said person from mortal peril. And seeing as how I do not believe this one—" he waved a hand in Remus' direction "—could hit such a sharp note, I do believe that person is _you_."

"I'm fine," she answered through gritted teeth.

"Mission accomplished, then," said the one on the left, who was now upright and brushing dust off of his robes, then proceeding to hopelessly straighten out his mop of hair.

He flashed Lily a cocky smile. She returned it with a scowl.

"What happened, anyway, mate?" he questioned after seating himself quite unwelcomely on Lily's bench.

"Nothing," she replied stonily.

Remus saw the conversation was going nowhere, and offered his hand in the situation. "Everything's alright, guys. Lily's just not from around here… if you know what I mean. All she needs is a few days to get used to things."

Lily looked at him disbelievingly, as if he had just told the raven-haired boys that she had three heads and enjoyed the polka. He gave her a reassuring look, which faltered for a second when he saw a dawn of comprehension on the boys' faces followed by what appeared to be a mischievous glint in their eyes.

"Say!" said the one from the left after a short period of silence. He wore an expression of fake amazement. "Have you ever tried a Lucky Bean?"

Lily looked right through them, obviously trying to give them the hint that their company was no longer required. Apparently, they would have done better if she had spelled it out for them. Neither boy showed the intention of moving any time soon. On the contrary, they were currently situating themselves in the compartment, trying to make themselves more comfortable.

"Well, it's about time you should, then, mate!" chimed in the boy with the glasses. "Just bought them off of the snack cart. Didn't see them, did you?"—he added, noticing Lily's inquiring expression—"Well, I'd say they're pretty much necessary for the first day."

The boy with the smooth hair nodded, his soft locks swaying back and forth as he did so. "Yeah, especially with the Sorting. Wouldn't want to be put in the wrong House, now would you? I mean, this night pretty much determines your whole future at Hogwarts."

Remus looked up from his book and saw that Lily was seriously considering their offer, her hand twitching in her lap. He, too, was nervous about the Sorting that the boys were mentioning. It meant so much… but his mother told him not to worry, that the Sorting Hat knew more about Remus than even he did. Furthermore, it could have been a trick of the light, but Remus was almost positive that the so-called "Lucky Bean" was merely one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Jellybeans… most likely in something vile. It was a childish but easy trick to play on an anxious first-year. The boy with the ruffled hair held it out in his hand, gesturing for Lily to take it.

"You know you ought to," he said. "Sirius and I've already eaten ours. We aren't about to take any chances."

Lily reached out an apprehensive hand and then decidedly snatched it away as quick as a lightning bolt. Looking from the boy who had just spoken to Sirius, Lily slowly drew the jellybean up to her mouth.

"Lily, don't—" Remus started, but it was too late. Lily was already chewing the "Lucky Bean".

The two raven-haired boys burst out in maniacal laughter as Lily's faced turned a murky green and she had to spit out the remnants of the jellybean in her hand. Remus was about to say something to the other boys, but Lily, looking ready to kill, stood up and looked the duo straight in the eyes. She didn't need telling twice that the whole thing had been a prank.

"You two done being prats now?" she asked fiercely, each one of her words pelting fire down onto them, getting more and more sarcastic as she went. "This trick was so _obviously _well planned out and elaborate. I mean, only two regular Einsteins could have come up with it. So… bravo, boys, bra-_vo_! Oh, the permanent damage it has left on my fragile little psyche!"

"Lily…" Remus whispered quietly.

"No! I want Four-Eyes and Mr. Fantastic to get the bloody hell out of my compartment!" Lily shouted, staring daggers at the two. "What are you waiting for? _Out_!"

Trying to stifle their laughs and seemingly feeling no guilt whatsoever, the pair got up and slowly inched their way to the door. Right as they reached the knob, the one with the glasses turned around.

"By the way," he said to Lily, flashing her the same cocky grin, "for future reference, I'm James Potter, and this is—"

"Sirius Black, at your service," stated the other boy smoothly, bending down into a sardonic bow.

And with that, they sauntered out of the hall, Lily so angry that you could almost see the steam rising from her fiery red hair. For someone who expected his first ever ride to Hogwarts to be filled with such extravagant activities such as rereading textbooks and counting the number of trees that passed by, Remus had found the trip quite eventful. He might have even made his first friend—the pretty girl named Lily Evans.

Little did Remus Lupin know that it would be those who had caused his first acquaintance in years about to spit flames that he would come to be the best of friends with.


	2. The Best Year Ever

**A/N: I forgot to add one of these in the last chapter, but just incase you didn't realize it, the introductory paragraph was a flashback to the Marauder's train ride in their first year. This chapter is set in the present (of the story). I haven't completely decided yet, but there will most likely be alternating flashbacks just to keep the story interesting. Yeah. The end. Enjoy.**

The Sorting had just come to a close, and the Marauders' applauded the newest additions to their house for what would be the last time. One more round of exams and then it was out into the real world for James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and the rest of the Hogwarts seventh years. James was ready. Well, _almost_ ready. There were a few more things he had to require in his remaining year of school, but then he would be ready to hit the road and go make something of himself. Financially, James could very well buy every item Zonko's Joke Shop, sit around all day in his drawing room, and still not have to worry about work for many years to come. However, this was not the way James wanted to live. He was never one to lie around idly and watch the clouds roll by.

Professor Dumbledore was now standing up, the room consequently falling silent. He gave the school a warm smile and spread his arms wide. For a long time he didn't say anything at all. Then it came. Just what James had been waiting the entire night for. He hadn't told anyone (apart from Sirius) about his little surprise, for he found that the element of surprise proved to be quite amusing when used effectively. It had taken every part of him not to run down the hallway of the train and scream his joyous news into every compartment. In retrospect, James still wasn't quite sure how he had managed.

"My dear students," Dumbledore started, his voice old but strong, "welcome or welcome back once again to Hogwarts. I do wish that you take the Sorting Hat's song into consideration… Evil things are happening among us, and it is imperative that we stand together in these darkened times and do what is right. We need to show bravery, good-heartedness, intelligence, and cunning—" he respectively nodded his head to each House table "—and I believe that this would be an excellent time to introduce this year's new Head Boy and Girl, two people whom I respect very much and whom I believe possess all of these noble qualities."

The Great Hall fell dead silent, even more than it usually did when Dumbledore gave one of his speeches, and everyone was either staring directly at the Headmaster, or looking around the room to see where everyone else was looking. A small group of girls seated around Lily Evans were positively beaming, barely able to contain themselves from clapping and whooping. James knew it was going to be her. He had known it from the moment he had first heard her answer a question (in lengthy detail) in Potions class. The girl was positively brilliant. He supposed the rest of the seventh year wouldn't be surprised about it, either. Lily's brilliance was no secret.

No, the question on everyone's mind was: who was Head Boy? As far as the masses were concerned, there was no clear-cut winner. Sure there was smart this and generous that, but there was not one boy who stood out among the rest. However, James Potter knew the answer to that question. And James Potter wore a smug grin on his face. However, people would not consider this behavior strange for _James Potter _because it was the same grin he wore half of the time anyway.

James sat in a wonder, imagining the Headmaster announcing his name to the school. And then, of course, he inevitably did:

"I'd like to announce," Dumbledore beamed, "James Potter and Lily Evans as this year's Head Boy and Girl. I hope you shall wish them luck in their future endeavors. I expect great things from the two of them… We would once again like to remind you all that the forest is off-limits…"

James soaked in the applause that had filled the Hall for the brief period of time, grinning at his three best friends who sat beside him. Then, he turned to Lily, waiting to see her reaction. Once she met his eager eyes, a look of despair fell on her face and she hid her face in her hands while many of the girls surrounding her gave comforting pats on the back. Well, it was not much more than James could have hoped for, but it did not change the fact of the matter: Lily Evans was Head Girl to his Boy. That meant they would be seeing a lot more of each other—whether Lily wanted to or not. She would under no condition give up the prestigious title. After a few moments of self-mourning she looked up at him again and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Lily looked as if she were about to cry.

"I don't know what she's so sad about," James said, shrugging Lily's behavior off. "This is going to be the best year ever…"

"For you," Remus added pointedly.

"No, no, no, my friend," James smiled. "It'll be her best year, too. She just might not know it yet, but I'll make her see reason."

"Good luck, mate," whispered a tall and handsome-looking Sirius Black. He gave his best friend a wry smile. "You're going to need it."

"Never mind that," James muttered back, holding his head up high. "All I need is pure talent."

The three others laughed generously, for with James one could never tell if his overly self-absorbed comments were serious or not. The Marauders had decided that no matter the answer, it didn't really matter to them, for James was always accepting of a good laugh at his behavior. More than anything, he enjoyed it.

"Oh, I understand," answered Sirius, passing the roast over to Remus. He paused for a second. "And where do you suppose you are going to get that?"

After the feast, it was always customary for the Head Boy and Girl to meet with the Headmaster, and James did so with enthusiasm. As he passed Lily's seat, he offered his arm, but she pushed him away and helped herself quickly out of the Hall. James followed faithfully behind, oblivious to the fact that Lily had completely blown him off, or, perhaps, in spite of it.

Both students knew where Dumbledore's office was, Lily having been a prefect and James having been in trouble half the time. They waited in awkward silence for the Headmaster's arrival next to the statue which concealed the staircase which would take them to his office.

"Have a nice summer?" James asked conversationally, swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Yes," Lily answered shortly.

"Oh, that's good," he said airily. "Get my letters?"

"Yes," she replied with clenched teeth. "All twelve of them. Seriously, Potter, don't you have anything better to occupy yourself with?"

James opened his mouth to reply, but Lily cut him off—

"What was that in Dumbledore's speech?" she cried desperately, throwing her hands up in the air. She turned to James. " 'Wish them luck in their _future endeavors'_? What are people going to think? What are they going to say? I mean… I'm Head Girl. And—and you, you're Head Boy. Think of the rumors!"

Lily frowned miserably and folded her arms against her chest. James still stood there, silently rocking back and forth, the only sound in the corridor being muffled footsteps from below.

"You're absolutely right," James said quietly.

"What?"

"You're right—about the rumors. As far as I can see there's only one thing we can do," he said solemnly, trying with all of his might not to break out into laughter. "You're going to have to go out with me. There's no other way. We'd quash all of those nasty rumors then, we would."

"You can't be serious," Lily answered bluntly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am," he said jovially, sparing no detail in telling Lily how they would valiantly leave no rumor untouched in such tremendous shows of bravery such as holding hands in between classes and eating spaghetti from each others' forks, but he was sure they could substitute spoons if she preferred. Such courage would make Dumbledore honor the day in which he chose James Potter and Lily Evans to stand side by side in their respective roles as Head Boy and Girl.

Lily scowled and started shouting the names of sweets angrily at the statue in front of her. Dumbledore always came up with childlike passwords such as "Lemon Drop" or "Chocolate Pasty". However, she was out of luck; the Headmaster must have come up with a new favorite food to appease his sweet tooth.

"Don't you see?" James laughed openly. "It's genius! Hell, you could write a book about it!"

The fiery redhead continued to randomly shout out the names of various culinary delights and began to pound furiously on the head of the stone gargoyle. James just propped a hand against the wall to steady himself and continued to tell Lily of his fool-proof plan, while she answered that she wouldn't go out with him until Squibs could fly and Muggles could turn quills into knives, which she would then continue to use to strategically throw at various parts of his body. When Professor Dumbledore showed up ten minutes later and apologized for his tardiness, he refrained from asking any questions about the curious shouts he had heard from down the hall.


	3. The Noble & Most Ancient House of Black

Regulus Black roamed the dungeons as if he owned the place—and he might as well, he was a Slytherin, not to mention descendant of the prestigious house of Black. His particular large ego might have been a little premature, however, considering he was only in his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, as far as Mr. Black was concerned, a first year Slytherin was ten times more deserving of respect than being a seventh year Hufflepuff. He waltzed out of his common room, head held high, eyes roaming the hall lazily to see if anyone of interest was about.

'No one worthy,' Reggie smirked inwardly, unable to find a fellow Slytherin. 'Just mudbloods and blood traitors running off to Potions class.'

Regulus was of course, late once again to his Potions class, but it did not matter. The Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, had so eagerly inducted Reggie into his "Slug Club" that it no longer mattered if he even _attended _class. As long as he showed his face at the occasional dinner party, Reggie was good to pass the class with flying colors. Slughorn wouldn't dare fail someone from a family as powerful and affluent as his.

He nodded to a few passing girls, ones who he knew were well-bred—Reggie had an eye for things like this—and they giggled to themselves. Regulus wasn't quite as blessed with good looks as his older brother Sirius, but he (as well as the rest of his family) believed that Reggie's proper character made him ten times the better catch. Everyone, including Reggie, had been surprised when Sirius was sorted into Gryfinndor. It was a disgrace to the family name, and his parents spent hours writing to the twit Headmaster to try and switch him, but Professor Dumbledore always replied stubbornly that the Sorting Hat was never wrong. His family had even offered the school a hefty some of money for the change, but this only seemed to anger Dumbledore. He would no longer accept letters from the Blacks.

Things had only gotten worse when the following year, Regulus' cousin Andromeda Black was sorted into Gryfinndor as well. Once again the letters flooded in, but once again the Blacks were denied any power. That was the same year Regulus had come to Hogwarts. His parents were deathly worried that he would turn out to be just as bad a disappointment as Sirius, but much to their joy, Reggie was sorted into Slytherin, like a proper Black.

He, along with his sisters Narcissa and Bellatrix, had become the jewels of the Black family. And that was enough to keep his head held high despite his young age.

In the corner of the corridor was a small, rubbery-looking little boy with watery eyes. He was hunched over and nibbling on a Treacle Tart as if he was a rat. Regulus wore a proper air of disgust and ambled over to the boy.

"What are you doing out of class?" he said loudly, feigning authority.

The boy looked up at him, eyes wide, obviously knowing Reggie was a Slytherin, the most respected and feared of all students—and for good reason.

"I asked you a question, tubby!" Regulus barked, getting angry.

The boy continued to look up at him, protectively covering his pastry with his hands and grinning apprehensively. For dramatic effect, Reggie decided to kick him in the shins, causing the boy to drop nearer to the ground, letting out a small squeak of pain.

"What are you doing out of class?" said a voice behind Reggie, successfully mastering twice the anger and intimidation as Reggie had.

Reggie turned around quickly, his wand out defensively in front of him, only to find that the boy on his other side already had _his _want pointing right between Reggie's eyes.

"I asked you a question, Reggie," the boy said, voice quavering.

"Ah, Sirius," Reggie answered, looking squarely in the face of his older brother. There was a time when Regulus was greatly frightened by Sirius, when they were both boys. But now, now that Reggie knew Sirius' true colors, he saw where the true right laid. "What am I doing, you ask? Well, I'm not running around with mudbloods and blood traitors, that's for sure. I'm not bringing disgrace to the family name. I'm not making mum and dad wish I was never born!"

"Let that boy go!" Sirius growled, moving his wand so close to Reggie's face that it was bound to leave an imprint. Reggie, however, looked straight ahead, unphased.

"I hope you're studying real hard, Sirius," Regulus spat, ignoring his brother's comment. "You know, going to get a good job. 'Cause you can bet the second you leave this Godforsaken place that you'll never set foot in our house again!"

"I thought I told you to let Peter go," Sirius answered darkly.

For a second, Reggie and Sirius just looked at each other, Sirius with a hardened glare and Reggie with a haughty smirk. He knew how much pain he was causing Sirius. Maybe the same amount of pain he himself had suffered from having his older brother, his role model, taken away from him. Maybe that much.

"You blood traitor," he whispered vengefully to Sirius.

Regulus' elder brother wasted no time in blasting Reggie into the opposite wall. Orange sparks bolted out of his wand and lifted Reggie's feet off of the ground, and as his body his the stone wall, he began to laugh manically.

The boy Reggie had been torturing emitted gave high-pitched squeaks of gratitude to Sirius, obviously mistaking a family feud for a rescue attempt, for Reggie knew if it had been any other person, Sirius would have shrugged it off and continued to class. The squeaky boy, named Peter Pettigrew, admired how Sirius' Vanishing Charm had worked perfectly, heavily advanced magic for someone only in their second year. Sirius gave grunts of acknowledgement, but not much more. However, that day on, whenever Reggie saw his brother, Pettigrew was not far behind, nervously crouching in his footsteps.


	4. Dear Petunia

Lily Evans sat purposefully at a desk in the library, pretending to study but really finishing off the last words to the letter she was writing to her sister, Petunia. Petunia and Lily did not have the best relationship—considering that Lily's sister avoided her whenever possible and openly comment how much of a freak she was for her magical abilities. However, this time things were urgent. Lily needed to talk to someone about James and there was no one else she could turn to. Her Muggle friends back in Little Whinging thought that she was attending an all-girls academy, and her friends here at Hogwarts didn't understand why she wouldn't just go out with James. Petunia was the only person Lily knew that could give a completely objective view of the situation… well, 'objective' considering the skewed facts Lily was undoubtedly giving her.

Miss Evans was no stranger to boys. She had had a few relationships in the past, all tragically ending by James finding out and threatening the boy so badly that he refused even to talk to Lily again. But James Potter was his own species, something despite his constant presence that Lily could not quite figure out.

"What an oaf," she thought to herself, signing the letter in one long stroke of a quill and sealing it shut. She would take it up to the Owlery later that day. Of course, she knew that whatever terse reply she would get back from her sister, it would not arrive for quite a long time, for Petunia refused to use the Owl Post. It just felt better to get it off of her chest.

Lily sighed morosely. Maybe being Head Girl was not the wonderful task she had thought it was going to be. She tucked the letter inside her Charms book and packed up the rest of her books into her side bag, which she had scattered across the table for effect. Behind her Lily heard the soft scuffling of feet. She turned around to find a scholarly-looking boy of seventeen wiping a strand of light brown hair out of his face.

"Hello, Remus," Lily smiled, greeting the only one of James Potter's friends that she could stand conversing with. He was quite intelligent, and had been made prefect along with her in their fifth year. Remus Lupin primarily took to studying, although Lily was certain that he was no doubt in on every one of James and Sirius' pranks, even if he chose not to stand on the frontline. A smart choice if Lily did say so herself.

"Lily," Remus nodded politely. That was another thing, Lily thought to herself. Remus was polite, a gentlemen, something that James could not ever hope to be even on his best day. "What has drawn you to the library this morning?"

"Writing a letter," she said calmly, not afraid to tell him the truth.

"Ah, I see," he answered quietly, smiling. "Well, I supposed all letters have to be mailed at one time or another. I shall see you around, Miss Evans."

"Alright," she replied nicely to his retreating figure, who took the dimly lit table in the farthest corner of the library. That was Remus for you; he knew when enough was enough and didn't force you to give your entire life's story every time you met. Lily frowned at him, for even in the murky light of his corner she could see a premature wrinkle lining his face. She felt sorry that he had to have James, Sirius, and Peter as friends. However, she was no stranger to the fact that that was the company he had chosen, and he was quite capable of removing himself anytime he wanted to. She wondered if Remus was a different person when he was around them.

That night, Lily left Gryfinndor tower to make her way up to the Owlery. It was only a good half-hour before curfew, but it was not her night to patrol the halls so she did not have to meet Professor McGonagall in her office, which was much out of her way. If there were no distractions, she would get back to her dormitory with minutes to spare.

There were still a few students buzzing around in the corridor, friends from separate houses saying their goodbyes as they parted ways to reach their Common Room, students who enjoyed a late dinner making their way upstairs from the Great Hall, and teachers retiring for the night. Thus, Lily went unnoticed as she made her way up to the Owlery. Whenever she had a letter to mail, she always preferred to go at night, for it ensured greater privacy, something Lily considered a right of hers which was constantly abused.

There was no one in the hall, but Lily still distinctly heard the shambling of feet behind her. She turned around quickly on the spot and the sound stopped. She turned her head every which way, trying to find where the noise was coming from. Even in a school of magic, hearing someone or something that she could not see was not a good occurrence.

"Who's there?" she asked with a small voice, craning her neck into the increasing darkness. There was no answer.

Noticing that it was later than she thought, Lily compulsively lit her wand and began walking again. Just as soon as her left food hit the ground, she heard the noise again. Lily shut her eyes tightly and quickening her pace, not even wanting to think about the possibilities of what lay behind her. The footsteps grew quicker and louder themselves, quickly overpowering Lily. Her heart pounded against her chest, as if trying to escape. She could not talk; her throat had gone dry. But as soon as the mysterious footsteps had come, their sound was retreating into the darkness ahead of her, just out of earshot. About this time, Lily was a few yards away from the staircase leading to the Owlery, and stopped to catch her breath—which she had been holding for the entire walk—before making her way into the smelly room with no windowpanes.

"Hullo, Evans," said a jaunty voice that Lily knew too well. She jumped for a second, not believing her ears, and then turned to face the one and only James Potter.

"Do you have no shame?" she asked exasperatedly, arching an eyebrow and thinking that somehow James had known she was going to come up here. Had Remus told him? Had he been holding a stakeout in the Owlery _all day_? Lily did not even want to think about the odd circumstances which could have arisen.

"You know, they tell me I don't," he said heartily, messing up his jet black hair. He stood by the wall of the Owlery with one leg propped up against the stone.

"Who? The little voices inside your head?" Lily shot back before calling her owl, a regal looking tawny named Circe, down to perch on the side of the nearest windowsill. She made a conscious effort not to look at James, who was inching ever closer. Reaching into the pocket of her robes for the letter, Lily realized with a start that she had forgotten to take it out of her Charms book, which now lay exposed on her four-poster bed.

"And what brings you up here on this gorgeous night, milady?" James asked, reminding her of Remus' greeting earlier in the morning, however much more vain.

"Sending a letter," she mumbled, preoccupied, checking ever possible spot in her robes where her note to Petunia might have gotten to.

"Really now? I don't see a letter," he answered slyly.

"I must've forgotten—"

"I think you came up here to see _me_."

"What?" probed Lily, clearly shocked.

"What?" James mimicked, feigning confusion. "I think I made myself perfectly clear. I think you came up here because you wished enjoy my company."

"That's absolutely ridiculous on so many levels, Potter," Lily argued. "For one, never have I ever _enjoyed _your company, and for two, how in the world could I ever have known you'd be up here?"

"Well, they say there are inexplicable connections between and person and their other half."

"You think—" Lily started to ask, and James nodded. Lily looked at him in disgust. "If I am your other half, may I suffer an early death."

With that, Lily Evans marched down the staircase and out of the Owlery, Circe hooting in discord for having not been giving a job or even a pat goodbye. James also seemed to want a word of farewell, for he too departed the room and followed Lily into the corridor, like a dog on her heels.

"Evan—wait!" he called, quickening his pace to catch up with Lily.

She wanted more than anything to let him keep calling her as she stormed back to the Common Room, but the night had grown darker and no matter how competent a witch she knew herself to be, it wouldn't hurt for some company if the eerie footsteps decided to show up again. Therefore, she let James walk with her, and they walked in peaceful silence through the corridor. A few times she thought she heard the sound again, but it was just the padding of James' trainers on the stone floor.


End file.
